For Ourselves?

If I were to ask you if every action you made was for yourself, most of us would say no. Many theorists argue, however, that we always act in our own self-interest. This was a concept that when I first entered into a philosophical debate, took the position of no. The more we discussed the topic, the more I started to see that every action, to some extent was in our own self-interest. Self-interest might not be the driving force, but an individual would never do anything that they, in some form, did not gain satisfaction. Even the toughest issues, those issues that would be classified as selfless, to some extent possesses some kind of value to the individual.

Let us look at some examples. An individual volunteers, in all respects this is for other people, it helps other people. Yet, the volunteer receives some form of satisfaction. Perhaps they feel good to have volunteered, perhaps they felt guilty and needed to give back. There could be so many reasons for a person to make a decision, and each decision has some underlying personal effect.

A more rattling example is to sacrifice yourself to save someone else. This is something we see a lot in movies, and books, and even the news. These acts are heroic, and I in no way mean to degrade the power and strength it must take an individual to make that decision. However, even that to some extend was the individual acting in their own self-interest. There could be so many reasons for why a person would choose to do that. Perhaps they value the other individuals life as more worthy than they value theirs, perhaps they feel as though they couldn't live if they did not act. Some underlying issue is there that indicates self-interest is present.

I am not suggesting that every decision is purely self-interest guided. I am just suggesting that it is impossible to make a decision that in some way is not made for yourself. It is unconscious behavior. You can debate it as much as you like, and you may be able to sway my opinion. I have already switched points of view once, so I know the topic well. Lives and emotions are so complex that there is no way that your life is not factored into your own decisions. It is important to remember that acting in your self-interest may not always appear to be the best decision for yourself.

So what does this have to do with ethics? Self-interest guides your decisions. It is an element of ethics itself. Different views on ethics suggest that the ethical thing is to only act in your own self-interest. I am proposing that it is almost impossible to not act in your own interest. Although self-interest is a part of ethics, it is important to examine the many avenues of ethics. Ethics is complex, and your personal ethics are complex. Self-interest is just one piece of the ethics puzzle.

Do you agree that we all act in our own self-interest? Do you think that it is possible to avoid acting for yourself.

Take a bite, because I want to hear what you have to say.